Hurricane Beryl tracker: Death toll rises to 6 in Texas, over 2 million without power
Beryl is slamming Texas with powerful winds and torrential rain.
Tropical Storm Beryl is tearing across Texas after making landfall in the state as a Category 1 hurricane Monday morning.
At least six people have been killed by fallen trees or by drowning and more than 2 million customers are without power across Texas due to torrential rain and powerful winds.
Hurricane Beryl first killed at least seven people in the Windward Islands before skirting south of Jamaica, shutting down communications, stranding tourists and delivering storm surge and flooding rain to the island.
Latest headlines:
5 to 9 inches of rain inundates Houston area
Tropical Storm Beryl has inundated the Houston area with 5 to 9 inches of rain as it continues to slam east Texas with flooding and gusty winds.
Wind gusts reached 84 mph in Houston and 94 mph in Freeport, Texas.
Beryl has also brought tornadoes to east Texas. A tornado watch is in effect through Monday night in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.
The storm will steadily weaken through the afternoon. Beryl was the earliest in the season hurricane to make landfall in Texas since Bonnie in 1986.
-ABC News’ Kenton Gewecke
Beryl’s latest forecast
Beryl is expected to remain a tropical storm as its center passes near Lufkin in east Texas on Monday night.
By Tuesday morning, Beryl will reach Arkansas and is expected to weaken to a tropical depression.
Rain from Beryl will hit Indiana Tuesday morning and then move into Detroit Tuesday night.
Beryl’s remnants will then drop heavy rain in Vermont on Wednesday.
The rain will reach Washington, D.C., Wednesday evening and into Philadelphia and New York City overnight into Thursday morning. Flash flooding is possible.
2.7 million without power in Texas
Power has been knocked out to more than 2.7 million customers in Texas as Hurricane Beryl slams the state with powerful winds and torrential rain.
ABC Houston station KTRK briefly lost power in its newsroom Monday morning.
Man rescued from truck submerged in floodwaters
Houston firefighters rescued a man who was trapped on his submerged truck as the floodwaters rapidly rose around him.
The rescuers dropped a life preserver ring to him and guided him to the shore.
Eight people have been rescued in Houston so far, according to Houston police.
"Shelter in place -- do not put our first responders in further danger," Houston Mayor John Whitmire said at a news conference.
Officials urge Texans on the coast to evacuate
In a press conference Sunday, Texas Lt. Gov Dan Patrick urged people living on the state’s coast to evacuate before the storm hits.
"We don't see many people leaving," Patrick said. "You don't want to be on the road tomorrow."
Texas Division of Emergency Management officials said over 50 ambulances are on standby to assist with evacuating hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities, if needed.
"This storm has already left nine deaths in its path through the Caribbean. We don't want number 10 to be in Texas," Patrick said.